Improving energy efficiency of a dealership may help reduce the costs associated with maintaining and using its building and may also help reduce the environmental impact of the building. Many utility companies may vary the cost of energy consumption during different times such that the cost of energy used by the dealership may change according to the time of day and/or year even if the amount of energy being used is relatively constant. During peak consumption hours versus off-peak consumption hours, the cost of energy may fluctuate considerably. Rates during weekends and off-peak hours may be much lower, while rates for electricity used during weekday peak hours (for example, 12:00 P.M.-6:00 P.M.) may be higher.
Traditional energy management systems used by the dealership may be inadequate in effectively managing cost and energy consumption with respect to varying energy costs within the building. For example, and in some instances, the dealership may offer free charging for a customer's electric vehicle while they search for new vehicles at the dealership. As customers almost always come in during peak times, however, the cost of energy to provide this service may be expensive and may drain valuable energy resources at the dealership.
The present disclosure provides for a dealership energy management system for charging incoming customer vehicles with inventory vehicles and method thereof that addresses the above-identified concerns. Other benefits and advantages will become clear from the disclosure provided herein and those advantages provided are for illustration. The statements in this section merely provide the background related to the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.